


Burn it to the Ground

by Kereea



Series: ASL In Red [18]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe, Drama, Fights, Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 22:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7481766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kereea/pseuds/Kereea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward Weevil teams up with the Happo Navy to meet both of their goals: he gets to wipe out his father’s remaining crew, they get to lure out the grandsons of Garp.<br/>Somebody maybe should have told them that Portgas D. Ace is really sick of people threatening his loved ones to get to him just because they don’t like somebody he’s related to. It’s kind of a pet peeve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burn it to the Ground

 “I don’t know who these idiots think they are, but this is getting old, yoi,” Marco grumbled.

 “You know damn well who they think they are,” Izo scolded. “The Happo Navy have been around even longer than our crew.”

 Marco pursed his lips. The Happo Navy were one of the larger organizations in the New World, especially with the Whitebeard Pirates nearly halved by scattering and deaths after Marinford. They had power, too, enough to have lasted for well over two hundred years and thirteen generations of leaders, almost all of it in the Grand Line. “Their numbers are around a thousand, right?”

 “Yes, and their leader, Chinjao, is an old rival of Garp’s. One of the ones who challenged the guy after Roger died,” Vista said, stroking his mustache. “They’re tough, make no mistake…but this has gone on long enough. I think we know what they’re doing.”

 “They’re trying to make us push back first, yeah,” Marco mused. The Happo Navy had been dogging them for weeks, interfering with supply runs and docking and all sorts of other little things that stopped _just_ short of being aggressive acts. “…Doesn’t seem normal for them.”

 “They are usually more about protecting their territory, maybe slight expansion,” Vista agreed. “Before Chinjao’s son Itski died about ten years ago he and I got on pretty well. I know his grandsons have fleet positions now.”

 “I remember Pops usually had your division deal with them if it came to it,” Marco said. “…Thoughts?”

 “They’re up to something…which is also not like them, the Dons—that’s what they call the leaders—of the Happo Navy are usually not the planning types…” Vista said.

 “Could they have teamed up with someone?” Izo asked, fanning himself in just such a way to make his disdain for the situation evident.

 “Makes sense to me,” Namur grunted, folding his arms. “They play numbers to someone else’s plan.”

 “We’ll have to confront them eventually to resupply properly, might as well do it somewhere convenient to us,” Marco said, eyeing the cluster of ships still hanging around just nearer than the horizon. “Vista, I want to know everything you’ve ever learned about Chinjao and his fleet. Like how many holes we need to punch in it and _him_ before they realize they need to back the fuck off.”

.o.o.o.

 “Didn’t we just have a drinking night like a month ago?” Shanks asked as he answered the call.

 “Shut up. How’d you know it was me?” Buggy demanded.

 “Aw, Buggy, no one glares at me like you do!” Shanks teased. “The snail can only hope to imitate it, but it’s close enough!”

 “I hate you so…look. I’m doing you a _huge_ favor here, Red Hair, so I’ll be expecting compensation,” Buggy said.

 “I’ll see if I can find some sparklies for you if it’s worth it, now what’s going on?” Shanks asked.

 “Someone’s after your dumb kids.”

 “…No. Really. Stop the presses,” Shank said, rolling his eyes.

 “Someone _new_ you fucking dumbass!” Buggy yelled. “Idiot!”

 Shanks laughed as Benn shook his head at them both. Same old Buggy. “Okay, okay, _I’m sorry_ , now what?”

 “You’re an asshole, Shanks,” Buggy said. Shanks could almost see him turning his nose up in annoyance. Snails didn’t have noses, or even separate enough heads to mimic the motion properly, but he could see the poor thing trying anyway. “Anyway, it’s the new kid. Weevil.”

 “The weirdo the peacock’s been dealing with?” Shanks asked.

 “He means Marco,” Benn clarified when Buggy—and the snail imitating him—seemed confused at the comment.

  “Huh…you’re so freaking weird,” Buggy muttered. “Anyway, yeah. But he’s got a real flashy plan.”

 “…Go on,” Shanks said.

 “You ever hear of some guy named Don Chinjao?” Buggy asked.

 It sounded familiar enough, but Shanks glanced at Benn anyway. Benn nodded. “We have. So?”

 “So he doesn’t like Garp and Garp’s grandkids are Marco’s allies so he’s going to go after Marco to get Garp’s grandkids aka your kids and he’s doing it with Weevil,” Buggy said.

 “Huh. Thanks for the heads up, I’ll let the boys know,” Shanks said. “We’ll see if we can find some shiny stuff you’d like. Let you know when it turns up.”

 “You’d better! Bring it to your next meeting,” Buggy said. “Tell the brats not to get caught or anything, I still owe Straw Hat a smack upside the head!”

 “No hitting my kids,” Shanks scolded, but Buggy had already hung up on him. “Huh. Oh well, better let the kids know.”

.o.o.o.

 “’Sup, Bakkin? Having a flashy day?” Buggy asked, twirling the cord for the receiver around his fingers.

 “Did you do it?” The old hag was ever to the point. If you asked Buggy, that directness was yet another of many strikes against the idea of her ever having been with Whitebeard. The big guy had been too chill and considerate to get with someone so blunt.

 And greedy.

 And angry.

 “Course I did!” Buggy bragged. “Bet they have no clue what’s in store! And even better, Shanks himself will tell ‘em and that’s why they’ll go!”

 Bakkin cackled at that. Yeesh, and he’d thought Alvida laughed kind of weirdly. This old bat really took the cake… “Good! We’ll find Whitebeard’s treasure yet!”

 “Just remember, your old pal Buggy gets a cut,” Buggy said. “It’s not every day you fool an Emperor into helping your plans.”

.o.o.o.

 The _Thousand Sunny_ and _Scalpel_ were in their usual state of chaotic routine. Sanji and Penguin were cooking, Zoro was training while ignoring Perona’s teasing, Nami and Bepo were plotting courses and attempting to find a good place to stop off after their last adventure (a small island with absurdly homicidal wildlife and even worse plants), Law and Chopper were messing around in the med bay—or as Luffy would put it, getting their mad scientist on—while Ace napped by the mast and everyone else likewise went about their business to Brook’s latest song.

 Koala and Sabo had taken the time to themselves like they usually did if nothing was going on before lunch, and had finally gotten down to their underwear when there was pounding on the door.

 “Sabo! Shanks and Benn called!” Luffy yelled.

 “I’m _busy_!” Sabo said.

 “Can’t you do that later, though?” Luffy complained.

 Koala groaned, leaning her head on Sabo’s chest, “And…mood killed.”

 “Luffy’s really good at that. Law claims Luffy even does it to _them_ sometimes, when they’re ‘having a moment,’” Sabo muttered.

 “I don’t doubt,” Koala said. “How’s about you go take the call and then come back…”

 “With lunch on the way? Everyone will notice us missing and tease us for a week. Again,” Sabo said.

 There was a louder banging on the door.

 “Hurry it up, Sabo!” Ace said.

 “You know damn well why I am not _hurrying it up_!” Sabo said, despite reaching for his clothes.

 “Like anyone’s ever dragged you and your birdie away from sex!” Koala argued.

 “Hey, not our fault we can toast ya!” Ace laughed.

 “And I can put a pipe in your skull!” Sabo yelled as he finished buttoning his shirt back up. “Lousy brothers...lousy dads with lousy timing…swear Franky and Robin don’t take half the shit we do either…”

 He stormed down the hall to the Den Den room, “All right, what’s everyone on ab…out…”

 Ace was already heating up and cooking the air around him. Not good.

 “What’s I miss?” Sabo asked Law.

 “Your dads got a tip that some Pirate Navy teamed up with a new Warlord in a bid to mess with and-or take out the Whitebeard Remnant,” Law said. “…As you can see, the Fire Fist is most displeased.”

 “Shut up, Surgeon,” Ace growled.

 “Hey, hey, we also think it’s trap,” Benn said through the transponder. “So if you’re going to rush in, do it carefully.”

 “How can we rush in, they’re pretty far away…” Bellamy asked as some of the rest of the crew filtered in.

 “Oh, Bellamy, my man,” Franky said, clapping him on the shoulder. “You have no idea, bro. This is going to rock your socks off!”

 “Oh, shit, do we have to?” Law complained, cringing.

 Sabo chuckled. Despite being steady enough to remain standing during all parts of it, Law _hated_ using Coup de Burst to travel. Sabo mildly wondered if he got airsick or something.

 “We’re going to help Marco!” Ace snapped.

 “I want to help Marco just fine I merely hate the travel method,” Law sighed. “I’ll go to the sub, tell them to get started.”

 He generated a Room and switched with a barrel.

 “I’ll go tell Sanji and Penguin to secure whatever they’re cooking,” Koala said.

 “Like we’ll be able to stomach anything after a Coup de Burst,” Nami muttered. “…I’d better warn Perona, Zoro won’t think to.”

 “You kids sure you got this?” Shanks asked.

 “We’ll be fine, Shanks! Tell you all about it when we’re done!” Luffy said brightly. “Love you!”

.o.o.o.

 “You’re sure?” Marco asked.

 “Well no, we’re just telling you what Shanks told us,” Ace said. His voice was tight. “Get us your coordinates, we’re got a way of getting close by quick.”

 “Namur,” Marco said, waving his brother over. He grit his teeth as Namur gave their allies the details.

 The Happo Navy were doing Weevil’s dirty work, were they? Not for long.

 “Weevil’s not here yet, and he’s been keeping out of sight,” Vista noted.

 “Probably intentionally,” Marco growled. “But we’ll use it while we can. I’ll get their attention, everyone else swing around to attack while I distract them.”

 “What are you going to do?” Haruta asked as Ace groaned, “Marco don’t do something stupid, that’s _my_ job!”

 “Just a little chat with Don Chinjao, Ace, I’ll be fine. Love you,” Marco said, hanging up on Ace. “Come on, I’ve got a plan and I’m the most likely to get out unscathed.”

 “If we can thrash the Happo Navy before Weevil shows up, we’re going to be in a lot better shape,” Jozu said. “Nearby island has some rocky outcroppings, we can push them into those.”

 “That’s a big if, a lot of us aren’t running at our best,” Izo said. “Stress and lack of supplies do _not_ a rested force make. Especially when the captain’s not been sleeping.”

 “I’ll be fine,” Marco said, heading up to the deck. “You have your orders. Sweep them into the rocks.”

 He took flight, landing on the deck of the flagship of the Happo Navy. He swept his wings back—causing the majority of the pirates to back up—before calmly tuning back into a human. “Get your captain. Now.”

 “So impatient,” a large man chucked as he came forward. “Don Chinjao, head of the Happo Navy. Nice to finally meet you.”

 “Could have done this a lot sooner if you weren’t playing errand boy for Weevil,” Marco noted.

 “Ah, so you know about that,” Chinjao said, shaking his head ruefully. “No offense, but it was the only way we could get a lead on Garp’s grandsons.”

 “You leave Ace and his brothers out of this,” Marco said curtly. “You’re messing with _my_ crew right now.”

 “I suppose we are,” Chinjao agreed. “Sorry it came to this. Always liked your old man.”

 He was stalling. Why was he stalling? They were getting closer to the rocks, too…

 A trap, maybe? Marco’s eyes widened. Several Happo Navy ships had backed off even as his crew’s were closing in. Something was up.

 He jumped back, moving to fly over and warn them. A chain—seastone, _damn_ it—closed around his leg mid-transformation and yanked him back down. He slipped a sleeve over one hand and grabbed the chain through it, yanking his so-called captor forward and bringing his unbound foot up to meet their skull with a loud crack even as he kicked his other foot free of the seastone.

 “This isn’t a fight you want,” he snarled, catching another attacker and tossing them overboard.

 “Going to be less of a fight than you think,” Chinjao said and Marco jerked as a wave of Conqueror’s Haki slammed into him and outwards.

 He didn’t need to turn around to know the results. If Chinjao was even a fourth as strong as Shanks that would be about a hundred unconscious. Unconscious and in need of protection as the Happo Navy ships began to swing back in and Marco saw a man on the shore he’d only before seen in the papers.

 Weevil.

 “You _trash_ ,” he said darkly before transforming in a burst of fire and lunging for Chinjao.

.o.o.o.

 “So what is this again?” Penona asked as Zoro helped Sanji and Penguin get the food packed away.

 “The ships are going to go flying!” Penguin said. “Because Franky’s insane and Shachi copied that insanity!”

 “Copying insanity _is_ kind of impressive,” Zoro mused, snagging a bottle of beer as he finished locking up the pantry.

 “Urg, Zoro, no drinking before a Coup de—fuck it, don’t whine to me when you puke,” Sanji sighed. “Dear Perona, you may want to call your ghosts in, we don’t need people crashing into them.”

 “Oh all right,” Perona sighed. The guys finished up as the pink ghosts drifted back into their host, done with securing the higher cabinets. “There, done. Now what?”

 “Get on deck and hang on to someone who can swim,” Zoro said as they headed up.

 Sure enough, Law was leaning on Bepo on the sub’s deck while Luffy and Chopper were both gleefully hugging Jinbe and Usopp. Ace, still displeased, was between Sabo and Koala.

 “Where are Brook and Robin?” Perona asked as Zoro grabbed her upper arm. “And Bellamy and Bentham?”

 “Looks like Fair Robin is with Franky…” Sanji said. “Brook’s with Jean Bart over there…hey, guys! Bellamy and Bentham accounted for?”

 “Bentham’s with Nami and Shachi, think they’re controlling the sub,” Bellamy said. “Um…guess I’m with you?”

 “Al right then,” Penguin said, taking his hand as Sanji grabbed his shoulder. “All right, that’s everyone, right?”

 Koala nodded. “We’re good!”

 “ALL RIGHT!” Franky yelled, presumably trying to be loud enough to be heard inside the sub. “LET’S GET READY TO _FLY_!”

.o.o.o.

 “So, Hawky,” Shanks said.

 “No.”

 “You don’t even know what it is yet,” Shanks said.

 “I heard you on the phone with the clown. You want to go see the fight and my ship is faster than the Red Force to get there,” Mihawk said. “No.”

 “Come on it’s not even that far!” Shanks argued. “Like, two or three islands over. And I can’t have my whole _crew_ show up, that’s cheating because it’s not our fight.”

 “Red Hair, I came here because you had a picture of Zoro on Dressrosa to show me and some wine to share. Not to play transport,” Mihawk said.

 “But you’ll get to see Zoro fight!” Shanks said. “Maybe interrogate that new boyfriend of his…”

 Mihaw sighed, “Beckman, I make no promises to return him in one piece.”

 “Of course not,” Benn said knowingly.

.o.o.o.

 It hadn’t taken long for Marco to abandon Chinjao in favor or Weevil when the Warlord started lobbing boulders at his crew.

 “What’s the plan now?” Izo asked, kneecapping one of Weevil’s crewmates as he got to the shore, Blenhiem and a few others behind him.

 “Take out Weevil, he’s the bigger threat, and circle back to Chinjao,” Marco said. “Jiru, scout around for Bakkin. She’d make a good hostage.”

 “You leave my mama alone!” Weevil yelled and Marco suddenly found himself involuntarily airborne from one hell of a punch.

 “Get moving Jiru!” Marco muttered, wiping some blood off the back of his head.

 Weevil tried to stop Jiru from running off, but Marco got in his way.

 “Watch that spear, it’s seastone!” Blenhiem warned him as he ducked Weevil’s weapon.

 “Noted,” Marco said.

.o.o.o.

 From Vista’s point of view, this was bad. Their better fighters were split between two forces, the Happo Navy’s superior numbers had the pinned in, and his siblings on the islands had moved too far inland for him to have any idea as to their condition.

 Chinjao was staying safely behind his men, carefully targeted Haki keeping several of Vista’s crewmates out and in need of protection. His grandsons Sai and Boo seemed to be leading in the front, giving the Whitebeard remnant plenty of trouble.

 Sai was a little ways off, fighting Jozu, while Boo was engaged with a rapidly-dodging Haruta.

 “What the heck?” Boo yelled suddenly, peering at the horizon over Haruta’s head.

 Two large objects landed in the middle of the battle with a loud splash. Devil Fruit users on both sides sputtered and hacked as they were soaked—some having their powers temporarily shorted out by the sheer volume of water—and both crews had people dive overboard to rescue their sinking friends, swept over the sides by the waves. Namur in particular had to hurry after several still-unconscious siblings.

 “HEY! Who started without us, shishishi?”

  Vista smiled in relief as the spray cleared to reveal the Straw Hat and Heart Pirates, some soaking wet—and God Usopp pulling their deer back from over the railing, poor deer—but all of them looking ready for a fight.

 Ace quickly turned the water on his skin and shorts into steam before turning into fire itself, a stream of flame that heatedly smashed aside several members of the Happo Navy to land between Vista and Jozu. “Where’s Marco?”

 “Weevil’s on the island with his crew. Marco, Izo, Jiru, and Blenhiem took a division to handle it,” Vista said.

 “Got it,” Ace said. “Luffy, I’m going to go help Marco!”

 “Like you’d do anything else!” Trafalgar Law yelled mockingly even as one of his Rooms took shape, Happo Navy pirates backing away from the sphere carefully.

 “Shut up, Surgeon!” Ace barked, before turning back into flame and smashing through a Happo Navy ship, landing on the mast of another, and reaching one of the island’s rocky outcroppings before Sai got in his way. “Oh, man, this is **not** the day to fight me, buddy!”

 Vista’s attention was stolen by Ace’s younger brother, Sabo, “So what’s the situation?”

 “Chinjao has Conqueror’s Haki. He’s kept about a hundred of us unconscious with it,” Vista said. “Which takes even more of us out of the fight keeping them safe. Marco and the others who went to the island are trying to delay Weevil or beat him early since he’d make it a massacre.”

 “Got it. Luffy! Think you’re going to want the opposing captain!” Sabo yelled, and Haruta helpfully pointed at Chinjao.

 “Yeah, I noticed!” Luffy said. “But what if I knock out more people?”

 “Well knock out some of _theirs_ , at least!” Namur huffed as Jinbe helped him finish the rescue of the unconscious pirates. Surprisingly, most hadn’t come to even in the cold water, probably due to the now amplified Haki as Luffy’s and Chinjao’s clashed.

 All hell proceeded to break loose yet again.

 Law quickly warped himself and the deer—wait was the tiny deer a person?—to Namur and Jinbe, essentially establishing a safe-zone for the main pile of unconscious crew members inside his Room that several Happo Navy pirates quickly found the futility of entering as limbs and heads went flying.

 What a disturbing young man.

 With Law covering that more-or-less singlehandedly it freed up a lot more of the crew for battle, but they were quickly bereft of much to do as the Straw Hearts were clearly itching for a fight. Mihawk’s son all-but _dove_ at an entire ship, shattering—no, _slicing_ —it to bits with sheer force and then attacking enemies across the wreckage. Blackleg Sanji calmly smashed his leg—his on fire leg, very nice, Marco loved kicks like that, had they met?—through a mast, toppling it to serve as a bridge across ships for Luffy to charge across and confront Chinjao at close range.

 “When you guys go to work, you really go to work!” Haruta laughed as a ghost flew though Boo, freezing him up for Haruta to bat aside. “Ooh, cool power!”

 “Thanks,” a pink-haired woman said, lightly tossing her hair before Usopp yanked her out of the way of a cannon ball, “Hey!”

 “You’d rather get shot?” Usopp asked, ducking back behind some barrels. “Maybe you should get inside the Room with Law, use your ghosts for the perimeter…”

 “Perona, he’s right, get on defense!” Mihawk’s son yelled.

 “Stupid Zoro,” Perona sighed, letting Usopp and Haruta cover for her as she sprinted into Law’s Room. “Now what?”

 “Use your ghosts to keep people away from the perimeter,” Law said. “The less people I have to cut to bits the more I can help Chopper-ya mend these injuries.”

 Sai was restrained by Nico Robin and Ace charged onwards towards the island.

 Vista wished him luck.

.o.o.o.

 Izo was running low on bullets. Weevil’s crew were mismatched and didn’t have much going for them in the way of cohesiveness, but like their leader they made up for it with raw power. He recognized a handful of Impel Down escapees, presumably any who hadn’t teamed up with Buggy the Clown.

 A bolt of Conqueror’s Haki startled him. “What the fuck-”

 He felt the heat before he saw Ace. The logia barreled into Izo’s opponent, pinning the larger man firmly with hands around his neck. “Izo, what’s going on? Where’s Marco?”

 “Pulled Weevil that way. The guy kept going berserk and aiming for us instead of Marco,” Izo said, taking the opportunity to shoot the pinned man in both knees.

 “Think Marco can take him?” Ace asked, dealing a fiery backhand to the man before getting up.

 “…I’d never call him brother, but Weevil’s sure got Pops’ kind of toughness,” Izo said. “And Marco was tired going into this fight.”

 “Got it,” Ace said. “You guys got a code word for duck? Yell it and do it.”

 Izo raised an eyebrow but hollered, “DOWN!” and dropped, his siblings immediately disengaging and doing the same.

 Ace whipped on his heel, flames spiraling outwards to catch their opponents.

 “Regroup!” Izo yelled.

 “My crew’s back toward the beach,” Ace said, letting the fire form a moderate barrier. “Go back with them and team up.

 “You’ll handle Weevil?” Izo asked.

 Ace walked into the flames but turned and flashed a proud grin that reminded Izo of Emperor Shanks at his most annoyingly smug, “Oh hell yeah.”

.o.o.o.

 Mihawk spotted the fire first as they reached a narrow chain of rocks that led to the island.

 “I’m not getting my ship close to that,” he announced, leaning back in his chair as Shanks hopped off from where he’d been sitting on the mast arm.

  “Yeah well Ace is that way so I’m going that way!” Shanks said, leaping off onto the rocks that led to the island.

 “I thought we _weren’t_ getting involved!” Mihawk called after him.

 “I’m not!” Shanks yelled. “I’m going to watch from where I can see! Now go watch yours!”

 “I can see it just fine from here,” Mihawk said, turning to observe the fight on the moderately distant ships from where he’d be unnoticed.

 Zoro had improved, good. And Perona was showing some initiative from within the Room that protected her, excellent…now where was that boyfriend of Zoro’s…?

 He smirked as Shanks took off running. Classic Red Hair.

.o.o.o.

 Marco hit the rocks hard, and was too focused on healing his ribs to get out of the way of the bisento and its seatstone blade.

 His power cut out immediately as it pierced his shoulder and he yelped.

 “You don’t have to make this so hard!” Weevil complained.

 “I’ll make it as hard as I want, yoi,” Marco growled, trying to get back up.

 The hair on the back of his neck stood up as the air suddenly sizzled.

 “Hey-” Weevil said, distracted. Marco yanked the blade up and out with the last of his energy, collapsing on the ground to heal. Weevil growled at him and went to stab it back in when he was knocked away.

 Ace landed in front of Marco, fire sparking at his fingertips. “ **Don’t you fucking dare**.”

 “You!” Weevil said. “Stay out of this or I’ll take you out too, Gol!”

 Ace growled at him before glancing back at Marco. His eyes widened before narrowing sharply. “Marco...”

 Shanks had just gotten close enough to see the whole thing just as his son whirled on Weevil, “ **Oh you’re going to get it for that!** ”

 Shanks and Marco both saw exactly the same thing in Ace’s movements as he stalked forward.

 _Years ago, in the heyday of the pirate king, there had been a fight. A fairly friendly one, all things considered, but a fight all the less had broken out between the Roger and Whitebeard crews. Buggy had taken a smack to the head that had knocked him out, and Shanks’ anger at that had caused him to leave himself wide open in an ill-thought out attempt at retaliation made only_ somewhat _viable by the jolt of angry Haki accompanying it._

_His opponent had been new to Whitebeard’s crew at the time, not entirely used to the rhythm they had with the Roger pirates, the accord of fucking each other up but not too badly and then getting into another fight later over who did better last time._

_And the unspoken accord that maybe, just maybe, if either side’s cabin boys got mixed up in the fighting as they usually did, don’t do anything too drastic against them. They were only kids._

_And_ either _side was true, Marco been only a little younger and he’d gotten involved that time, mostly because he and Thatch hadn’t listened to Pops’ order to stay put in search of a better viewpoint for the fighting and somehow gotten into it with a guy with a poleaxe—they’d gotten dunked in the sea once already by then, too. But that wasn’t drastic while_ this _was._

_There had been so much blood. Rayleigh had knocked out half the already-startled combatants in a panicked burst of Haki just to get over there fast enough to put pressure on the wound, the unconscious Buggy and stunned Shanks being no help in the matter._

_And Roger…ooh Roger._

_Marco remembered wondering if his newer brother felt like a mouse watching a cat stalk towards it as Roger bore down on him, all rage and fury. For while he was not their parent—a parent would never have casually allowed preteens into battle, friendly or not, which was why Marco and Thatch had double chores for a month once Pops realized they’d disobeyed him—Shanks and Buggy were still under his protection as his apprentices._

_Harming them, especially so severely, was a death sentence, and it took Whitebeard over an hour of fighting—during which Rayleigh and some others made sure Shanks would live, the_ real _reason the fight even ended—to prevent Roger from dealing it out, a newly-conscious Buggy’s relieved cheers of Shanks not being dead calming him down just enough for an angry parting._

 _For his own safety, though, Blenhiem never went near Roger again. Just in case_.

 They saw it from opposite angles now, Shanks the one at a distance and Marco the stunned, injured one on the ground. Both decided in that same moment to not mention the similarity to Ace for a _long_ time, though Shanks felt mildly obligated to bring it up to Rayleigh and Buggy sooner.

 It wasn’t a perfect match of course, Ace was shorter and leaner than Roger, there was fire instead of a gun, and a knife instead of a sword. More importantly Roger hadn’t had Conqueror’s Haki, just a deep understanding of it and similar abilities from his ability to hear the voices of all things, but the Haki was important here, as the force of Ace’s rage-fueled will was making Weevil’s knees buckle.

 “ **You piece of shit** ,” Ace growled, the blaze burning hotter as it spread to encircle them, cutting off Shanks’ view. The knife in his hand glowed with heat, itching to carve searing marks. “ **You made a big mistake…** ”

 “You think you’ll defeat me after my father’s so called ‘sons’ couldn’t?” Weevil demanded. “You think _you’re_ strong enough?”

 Ace’s temper spiked and the temperature went with it. “ **You idiot. Your knees are shaking. And I’m _weak_ with this power. My little brother would have you blacked out by now, you weak-willed puppet of a gold-digging _bitch_!** ”

 “Don’t you talk about my mother!” Weevil yelled, swinging his bisento at Ace, seastone blade aimed for his neck.

 Ace’s knife blocked it, pinning it in place one-handed with the strength Ace had always had if never always thought to utilize when fire was often more fun. That same fire curled around his other hand in a slow but hot blaze waiting to be unleashed.

 “You want my head?” Ace asked idly, the power of his will taking a short backseat to cold amusement. “Interesting. **I’ll take your lungs. Screaming**. **FIRE FIST!** ”

Weevil was slammed back by the force of the blast and didn’t have time to recover because Ace was already on him, knife tearing through his overalls and skin, hot blade ripping into his ribs. He’d been very serious about the lungs.

 Weevil managed to summon his Haki armor to stop the knife from doing more damage while also protecting his hand as he grabbed Ace to fling away.

 Ace twisted in midair and launched another Fire Fist at Weevil, the force also propelling him backwards to slam his boots hard into a large rock and spring off again, turning into pure fire and temporarily disappearing in the huge blaze he’d created.

 Weevil had armor and durability that certainly were on par with Whitebeard’s defenses, but much like his willpower his Observation Haki was shit. Ace easily sprung out of the flames behind him, only just barely missing Weevil’s spine as he plunged his burning blade into Weevil’s neck.

 Weevil threw him off again, Ace’s knife still jammed into the spot where his neck met his shoulder. Right before his hand left the handle Ace had superheated the blade, sadly ruining it for future use but also causing it to start briefly melting on and inside his opponent.

 He got his requested screaming at that point.

.o.o.o.

 “What is taking him so long?” Law complained.

 Sabo rolled his eyes, “Oh, I don’t know, maybe the head of an established New World _armada_ is freaking tough?”

 Law growled, “Luffy and Chinjao’s fight has already smashed up one ship and they’re well on their way to a second. Can they at least get onto fucking _land_ if they’re going to do that?”

 “I…uh, don’t think that’s a good plan,” Chopper said.

 “Holy shit, Ace is going wild with that fire!” Haruta said. “… _HEY_! My brothers are on that island!”

 “It’s not too close to the coast, yet anyway,” Sabo said. “Yeah, see, there’s Izo.”

 “Yeah, him and Blenhiem and Dashi and…ah, fuck, Weevil’s crew,” Jozu muttered as a second group emerged along the rocky shore.

 “Jinbe, Blackleg, Pirate Hunter, go back them up!” Law yelled. “Perona, send a ghost at any of the opposing crew who get too close until they get there! Usopp, Shachi, same with shooting!”

 “Got it. You!” Perona said, grabbing a Whitebeard Pirate with a broken arm. “Tell me who over there you’re _not_ related to!”

 “Don’t jostle the patients!” Chopper groaned.

 “Let’s hope that’s enough,” Haruta said.

 “Namur’s going with them too, so it should be enough to at least keep them occupied,” Jozu said, slamming three members of the Happo Navy off the ship.

 “So we’re just keeping everyone busy until Luffy beats Chinjao and Ace and Marco beat Weevil?” Haruta asked.

 “That’s the plan,” Sabo said, watching as Koala delivered a very attractive roundhouse kick to Sai’s face.

 “Moon later, hit people with your pipe now,” Law reminded him dryly.

 “Shut up, surgeon,” Sabo muttered.

.o.o.o.

 “Give it up already!” Luffy shouted. “You’re going to lose me, your Sai guy’s going to Koala, and your Boo’s _already_ lost to Haruta! **We’re going to win**!”

 “I don’t give up so **easily** ,” Chinjao said, pushing him back, but much less that before.

 Luffy grinned. One thing he’d figured out was that this guy wasn’t as strong as Mingo, and unlike Gramps he wasn’t the kind of old guy who just could keep going and going for forever. “Who said anything about easy? We’re doing this **the hard way! Gum-Gum Elephant Gun**!”

 His Haki-blackened fist collided with Chinjao’s forehead, sending the big man flying backwards, clear though the mast of one of the Whitebeard ships. Oops.

 Luffy bounded through the debris and dust, not willing to risk Chinjao getting up and knocking out more of his friends. “ **Come on, that all you’ve got**?”

 Oh right, he could knock people out himself too. Double oops, some of those were allies. Oh well.

 Chinjao hadn’t gotten up. Well he was sitting up, but…he was just kind of rubbing his head.

 Holy crap his head was all pointy now! Luffy had messed it up worse!

 …That was kind of cool. Luffy didn’t need Observation Haki to know that at least had Law’s attention. Law was into weird anatomy stuff like that. “Hey, no sitting around! We’re here to fight!”

 “…You fixed it.”

 “Huh?” Luffy asked, cocking his head. Fixed what? He’d mostly been breaking things.

 “Your wretched grandfather broke my famous forehead…and you have restored it!” Chinjao announced.

 “…No shit?” Koala asked from where she was choking Sai with a leg lock, Sabo ready to help if the man got free.

 “You have got to be kidding me,” Rayuko said. “Vista _tell me_ he’s kidding.”

 “No, not, that’s how it looked years ago,” Vista said. “…How did hitting it _again_ fix it exactly?”

 “Don’t know,” Luffy admitted. “So _come on already_ , if you’ve got it use it, I don’t care; I’m still going to kick your butt!”

 “No.”

 “Um, yes I am,” Luffy said. “Tell him, Sabo. I’m totally going to do it.”

 “Yep,” Sabo agreed.

 “No,” Chinjao repeated more firmly.

 “Luffy-ya just fucking re-dent it so he’ll fight again,” Law suggested.

 “You don’t understand,” Sai wheezed. Koala and Sabo shared a look and she relaxed her legs to give him more air. “My grandfather…we needed that technique to access our navy’s treasure…”

 “Let me get this straight,” Sabo said. “You all hid your shit where only one of you could get to it, with no backup plan, and then when that guy got injured you no longer could get to your own damn treasure?”

 “Yep,” Boo said.

 “That is _terrible_ financial planning!” Nami cried, throwing her hands in the air. Robin quickly went to console her.

 “And me fixing your head or whatever means…you can get your treasure again?” Luffy asked, cocking his head. Treasure Pirates were so weird.

 “Yes,” Chinjao said. “So not only do we no longer seek revenge on your grandfather but we are in your debt.”

 “…No fair!” Luffy said. “I wanted to beat you!”

 “You…kind of did?” Sabo offered.

 “You have _got to be kidding me_!” Rayuko yelled again. “Vista, he’s saying he only did this because no one punched him in the head soon enough?”

 “Yes,” Vista said flatly, making his way to Luffy. “So…what will you be doing with that debt, Straw Hat?”

 Luffy wrinkled his nose, “I don’t want anybody in debt to me…why, you want something?”

 “I want revenge but I refuse to attack a man who won’t fight back,” Vista said. “…I’ll accept forced aid.”

 Luffy nodded, glancing at Chinjao, “So you’re going to do us a few favors, huh?”

 “Yes,” Chinjao agreed.

 Luffy pointed at the island, “Then have your guys finish off up Weevil’s crew for us. But you stay put.”

 “Why?” Chinjao asked.

 “So if they fuck up, Traffy can undo what I did,” Luffy said firmly.

 “Probably don’t have what it takes to cave it in again…could just bend it, though,” Law mused, tilting his head as his Room expanded to get closer to Chinjao. He pinched his fingers together and nodded, seemingly certain that was the way to go.

 “Well?” Luffy asked as Chinjao winced at Law’s idea.

 “You heard them,” Chinjao told Sai as Koala released his grandson.

 “And Marco gets to say what else we’ll ask,” Luffy added.

 “Yes, that is absolutely necessary,” Vista agreed. “We require our own restitution for this folly.”

 Luffy nodded. Fair was fair.

.o.o.o.

 “Still think you can beat me?” Ace snarled, backhanding Weevil with a blazing hand. “Still think you can _hurt my friends? **My Phoenix**_?”

 “Ace yoi…he’s out,” Marco murmured.

 “Oh, fuck no!” Ace snapped. He started shanking Weevil, “Wake up **damn it** I’m not done with you **yet**!”

 Weevil woke up with a groan of pain.

 “You want to say anything or can I keep yelling?” Ace asked Marco. Marco’s eyes widened slightly—Ace’s eyes almost weren’t even there, two blazing embers in their place.

 That was new.

 And not entirely off-putting.

 “Oh…I got something…then you do whatever you want,” Marco hissed, pushing himself upright.

 “Oh, yay…” Ace purred, the blaze heating up again.

 “You wanted Pops’ treasure, huh?” Marco asked Weevil. “Well, here’s a _secret_ …you’ve been fighting it this whole time.”

 “What?” Weevil asked. “I didn’t see any treasure!”

 “ _We_ were his treasure, idiot,” Marco snarled. “His _family_. _We_ were the thing he died to protect, not some fucking _money_. That thing you’ve been hunting, well you’ve been killing it too. So this….watching you die…it really makes me smile, yoi.”

 “And I love making Marco smile,” Ace said idly. The fires increased even more until Marco knew it was only his Zoan keeping him alive in the inferno as Weevil screamed and then began to choke on the lack of air.

 Ace ignored him, instead coming over to tend to Marco as Weevil was finished off, “You okay, birdie?”

 “I will be,” Marco said, blue healing flames keeping him safe and sound. “And you called yourself weak…”

 “Well…I guess I got better,” Ace said, glaring at Weevil. “I told Izo to round up the others and get out. Should be just us to head out.”

 “Assuming Weevil’s crew didn’t make problems,” Marco noted.

 “Could toss his corpse at them if they’re being brats…” Ace said, smirking.

 “Oh, that could be fun,” Marco said. He went to stand but his legs gave out almost as soon as he knees left the ground, Ace catching him before his head struck the ground. “Shit.”

 “Easy, birdie, I’ve got you,” Ace murmured. “We’ll leave him then.”

 “Fine,” Marco muttered as Ace easily took almost all of his weight. “So how are we getting back?”

 “I’ll give you a lift.”

 Ace and Marco both started and Ace turned around, “Shanks? What are you doing here?”

 “Right this second? Being the proudest parent in the world,” Shanks said, shrugging. “Heard you’d be kicking ass, wanted to come see. Not a disappointment.”

 “I…I, uh…thank you?” Ace stuttered. “Dad, wait, the Happo Navy-”

 “Your crew’s got it covered,” Shanks said. “Anything goes too wrong, Mihawk was hanging out to see his kid fight, he might get involved…okay, it’s Hawky, probably not, but you never know. Now, about that lift?”

 “…If you came with Mihawk wouldn’t the lift be from him?” Ace asked.

 “Semantics,” Shanks said, waving his hand.

 “…Can four people even fit on Mihawk’s ship?” Ace asked.

 “Let’s find out!” Shanks offered.

.o.o.o.

 Zoro frowned at the flames, “Should we even try to get through?”

 “I mean if they’re up Ace is probably all right, right?” Izo asked. “And if he’s all right Marco should be as well.”

 “There’s just enough vegetation to sustain that kind of burn for a short while without Ace, but it’s going down,” Sanji noted.

 Zoro nodded. His hands drifted towards his swords. The fire going down could mean that the fight was over and Ace was just putting the flames out…or Ace wasn’t sustaining them anymore because he’d lost.

 No. Ace wouldn’t have lost here. This was a good thing.

 Commotion from the ships drew his attention. Usopp was yelling and pointing-

 Zoro’s heart stuttered a bit when he saw the ship. He knew it well, he’d been sailing on it since he was a kid. Though…he’d never known it to carry more than his father, one other person, and maybe someone Mihawk was turning in.

 Marco was in the second seat, Ace standing in barely-there space beside him while Emperor Shanks relaxed on the mast’s arms.

 “What are they doing here?” Sanji asked.

 “Let’s find out,” Jinbe suggested and they headed back to the ships. The hair on Zoro’s neck prickled—his father was watching him, he knew it.

 “What do we tell Marco about Chinjao, anyway?” Haruta asked Vista.

 “What about him? Why was his crew helping us again?” Izo asked.

 “Garp fucked up his forehead by hitting it too hard, somehow Luffy hitting it fixed it, so now he doesn’t want revenge on Luffy, Sabo, and Ace as proxies for Garp because it’s no longer fucked up,” Sanji said. “…So essentially we’re not happy with him but we’re not going to kill him either because he’s not being a problem anymore. He’s just shitty.”

 “Marco can decide what we do with him,” Vista said. “Though I had something I wished to discuss with Namur and Jinbe before we made any decisions.”

 “Of course,” Jinbe said as the _Coffin_ reached the main ship.

 Jozu helped Ace get Marco aboard. Zoro could tell that despite the phoenix’s calm attitude the man was worn out beyond all reason and Ace, Jozu, and Izo quickly hustled him towards his quarters.

 Shanks strolled across the deck like he owned the place. Zoro had a few vague memories of the guy from when he was little and was pretty sure he’d always been like that. The emperor made a beeline for Luffy and Sabo, who had corralled Chinjao just outside the edge of Law’s current Room.

 And then there was his father.

 Zoro knew Mihawk better than almost anyone, but he was still frustratingly hard to read. “What are you doing here?”

 “Red Hair invited me.”

 Zoro snorted, “Since when do you go anywhere with him sober?”

 “Since I had the opportunity to observe you in battle,” Mihawk said.

 Oh. Zoro rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what to say. Was this the right time to demand an apology for Marinford? Would it ever be? Or would his dad assume it was in the past if he didn’t bring it up now?

 “You did well,” Mihawk added while he tried to figure out what to say. “Not well enough to beat me yet but you’re clearly improving faster than anyone else would have.”

 Zoro grinned, “Thanks, Dad.”

 Mihawk’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Sanji, “As for you…you’re the boyfriend, then?”

 “What of it?” Sanji bristled. Zoro frowned and moved to get between them.

 Mihawk tossed Sanji something, “I told your family hello and to stay away from my favorite restaurant.”

.o.o.o.

 Sanji stared at the bits of cloth, three scraps with the number 66 on them. Bits of Germa 66 uniforms, there was no doubt about it. “How…how did you get these?”

 “Cut them off the idiots wearing them,” Mihawk said as if it was no big deal. Hell, to him it probably wasn’t one. “They were disappointing opponents. Weren’t even worth killing. If that’s all the fabled Germa 66 has to offer your crew could likely destroy them with ease.”

 “No offense, Mihawk, but you’re kind of on a different level from us,” Perona said, folding her arms as Sanji pocketed the trophies.

 “Not for long,” Mihawk said, glancing at Luffy, and Law. “I imagine those two and Portgas could give me some trouble. Zoro, I expect you to catch up within a reasonable timeframe.”

 “Got it,” Zoro said fiercely.

 Mihawk’s eerie eyes softened very slightly, “I saw a photo of your fight with Corazon and Diamante. Excellent job. I always found them annoying.”

 “Urgh, you have no idea!” Zoro said. “Diamante _obviously_ used the Flutter-Flutter Fruit to compensate for lack of skill and Corazon started throwing subordinates at me and Kyros to wear us out once it was clear we were going to win! It was _such_ a shitshow!”

 “Oh, details of how Diamante went down?” Vista asked, wandering over. “Do tell, I hated his guts!”

 “More than you hate Usopp’s dad?” Sanji asked.

 Vista bristled, his immaculate mustache twitching, “That is none of your business and Yasopp’s fault besides. Now, details on Diamante’s fall?”

 “Well in the end he lost to a girl who didn’t know how to attack with a sword that morning and Law’s navigator, actually,” Zoro said. “But I’m the one who taught Rebecca so some of that’s still mine.”

 “Ah, taken a student of your own?” Mihawk asked before smirking. “A bit young to adopt, aren’t you?”

 “ _Dad_!” Zoro yelped. “She’s like…fifteen! And a freaking princess!”

 “…You have a sense of humor,” Perona said, sounding stunned. “Oh…oh my gosh. You actually have a sense of humor!”

 “I’m stunned,” Sanji agreed as Zoro continued to sputter. “Oh let it go, moss head, he’s clearly messing with you.”

 “You suck, Dad,” Zoro said, only to be knocked clean off the boat—a tiny streak of blood in his place—by Mihawk’s smaller blade.

 “Don’t let your guard down, son,” Mihawk said, calmly sheathing his knife. “And don’t mock your father.”

 “YOU _SUCK_!” Zoro yelled again, hauling himself onto some wreckage before hopping back onto the ship.

 “Torturing your son already, Hawky? Have you no decency?” Shanks scolded mockingly even as Zoro and Mihawk both went for their swords. “Don’t fight, guys. I’ll toss you both in the sea.”

 Mihawk and Zoro looked at each other. Sanji could see them communicating silently, and slowly realized by Zoro’s expression they were _for some reason_ considering both going for Shanks, maybe as some kind of crazy father-son thing.

 Weird, asshole swordsmen and their weird, asshole ideas. Sanji should wash his hands of the moss head right now.

 Shanks clearly got their intent and, grinning, dropped his hand to his own sword.

 “Okay, hell no!” Vista said. “Not while I’m too tired to participate, really, gentlemen, you mock me!”

 …So it was _all_ swordsmen then. Well, almost, Sanji amended as he glanced at Law who hadn’t so much as moved from working on his patients, Kikoku in Bepo’s paws and his tanto inside his open hoodie. Just all swordsmen whose other professions didn’t come first.

 “Come on, Shanks, not now,” Sabo sighed. “You’re embarrassing us…”

 “That’s his job,” Luffy joked.

  Mihawk shook his head, taking Zoro by the shoulder. He glanced at Sanji, “I’ll bring him back.”

 Sanji watched as they wandered to a less crowded part of the ship. He was pretty sure he saw Zoro say ‘Marinford’ and Mihawk seemed to say something conciliatory enough for Zoro’s tastes as Zoro didn’t get upset.

 He brushed his jacket pocket and tried not to miss Zeff.

.o.o.o.

 After several hours asleep, Marco felt restless. He went to get up, only for Ace, formerly dozing in a chair, to glare at him.

“Stay put, pretty bird,” Ace complained. “You’re good where you are.”

 “Ace, yoi, I’m _fine_ ,” Marco said. “Healing phoenix flames, remember?”

 “I know you well enough to know your pretty blue fire doesn’t fix exhaustion. _Remember_?” Ace asked, shoving him back down. “Go back to sleep, phoenix.”

 “Or what, you’ll make me? I thought your Conqueror’s Haki was _weak_?” Marco snapped in annoyance.

 “Haki? Oh hell no. I’ll just sit on you, birdie,” Ace said, eyes briefly blazing. “And if you keep trying to get out of bed, I’ll pin you down, get you hard, _and then not let you have any_.”

 “…You’re a brat when you’re mad,” Marco muttered.

 “You’re a brat when you’re sleepy,” Ace shot back. “So sleep.”

 Marco eyed him, “…Get down here.”

 “You know, I _can_ say no to sex. Like now. We’re not having sex,” Ace said.

 “You’re such a kid. Not everything’s sex, fire starter,” Marco teased.

 Ace rolled his eyes but did as Marco asked, curling up beside him. “You scared the shit out of me back there.”

 “Sorry,” Marco said.

 “Why didn’t you guys ask for help _sooner_? Seriously, some of us were getting stir crazy anyway…”

 “We didn’t know about Weevil until you told us,” Marco said. “If it was just the Happo Navy we’d have been fine.”

“Then why didn’t you do anything sooner?” Ace asked. “When you weren’t exhausted?”

 “Hubris?” Marco offered. “Didn’t see them as a threat until we were getting too tired…”

  “I just…I was so fucking scared when he stabbed you,” Ace said. “You’re… _you_.”

 “Never claimed to be invincible, yoi.”

 “You always seem that way, though,” Ace murmured, tracing Marco’s tattoo.

 “Nah. Not even Pops was invincible, Ace,” Marco said. He chuckled. “Or that brat Weevil.”

 “…Do you think he was? You know, related to your old man?”

 “He was tough enough to have been,” Marco admitted grudgingly. “But it doesn’t matter if he was or wasn’t, in the end. He’s gone.”

 Ace chuckled, “Hope I did defending your crew justice.”

 “You did great, yoi. Pops would have loved to see it.” Marco tugged Ace closer. “I sure did.”

 “Yeah but with your dad…he probably would have been, you know. Comparing it to someone,” Ace muttered ruefully.

 He stiffened when Marco didn’t reply. “Oh come on, really?”

 “…I wanted to wait to say something,” Marco said. “But…let’s just say Roger got really pissed off at Blenhiem once, when Shanks lost a rib.”

 “Fuck, dad knows too?” Ace groaned. “Damn it…”

 “Hey, hey,” Marco said, running his fingers through Ace’s now shoulder-length hair. “Gold Roger has nothing to do with saving me. That was all you, sweetheart.”

 “I just feel like I’ll never get out of his shadow now that people know,” Ace said. “And after Doflamingo’s stupid special bounties it’s even gotten my wanted posters altered.”

 “Roger never killed any Warlords,” Marco said. “Roger never escaped the execution platform.”

 “I…I could live with it. Being in his shadow,” Ace muttered. “Except it’s not just me. If people are looking too much at me they’re not looking at Luffy. Even before people knew, back in East Blue, I got mistaken for Captain. And it’s only gotten worse since Marinford.”

 “Last I checked that was something the Marines got right on their posters,” Marco noted. “Monkey D. Luffy. Pirate Captain. Half a billion bounty. You, sweetheart, were only four hundred eighty-five million.”

 “…Shit. I have to feel good that my little brother has a higher bounty than me,” Ace groaned.

 Marco laughed at him.

.o.o.o.

 With Shanks present, a party was inevitable. After some deliberations the Happo Navy were included, with the general consensus that if Chinjao tried to leave he would face the wrath of an emperor for party-ruining.

 Mihawk had assured everyone that was one of the gravest threats possible, and Sabo and Luffy backed him up on it.

 Finally, however, things began to wind down. Everyone agreed there would be a meeting in the morning with Marco present to demand whatever his crew needed of the Happo Navy in restitution. Shanks went to take Ace’s room on the submarine and Mihawk took Zoro’s old room on the _Sunny_.

 Sanji and Penguin were up late cleaning up their kitchens. Thankfully Zoro was sober enough, Usopp was considerate enough, and Bepo was easily persuaded enough to help. Sanji and Zoro finally stumbled back to their cabin exhausted and ready for bed.

 Sanji looked at the 66s, pulled from his jacket as he undressed. He wondered if any of them had been on his siblings…no, Mihawk was laconic as hell but he would have probably mentioned something like that…

 “You all right, curly-brow?” Zoro asked, already sprawled on their bunk in his pajamas.

  _Their bunk_.

 Sanji still got a weird flutter in his stomach about that. It wasn’t a bad flutter, just…unbelievable. He was in a relationship. A relationship with _Zoro_.

 “Oi, cook! You okay?” Zoro asked, sitting up.

 “Huh? Oh, fine,” Sanji said, stuffing the fabric in his desk drawer and pulling his flannel pants on. “Just thinking.”

 Zoro frowned and reached out, snagging Sanji by the wrist and pulling him over.  Sanji squawked as he landed awkwardly, half on the mattress and half in Zoro’s lap, “Aim better, Moss Head!”

 “Sorry,” Zoro offered.

 “No you’re not,” Sanji chuckled, shaking his head.

 “I didn’t mean to hurt you or whatever,” Zoro said as Sanji finally found a good position.

 “You didn’t,” Sanji said. “Just…thinking.”

 “My dad get to you?”

 “Your dad’s actually pretty nice,” Sanji said. “And funny.”

 “I cannot believe he told you about that time I ended up on the wrong island…”

 “ _Times_. Plural, moss head,” Sanji laughed, only to squawk as Zoro pinned him. “If you want to go, grass for brains, just try it!”

 “You want to?” Zoro asked, grinning.

 Sanji smiled. Same old Zoro. “What do you think?”

 His legs hooked around Zoro’s torso and in an instant Zoro was on the floor, Sanji now on top of him.

 Zoro laughed, “It’s on now, cook!”

.o.o.o.

 “So you’re going to give us a hand if anything goes wrong with Fishman Island,” Marco told Chinjao. “Which means going against Big Mom.”

 “We can handle it,” Chinjao said firmly.

 “Should try interrupting one of her kids’ weddings sometime,” Shanks offered.

 “We’re observing, not participating,” Mihawk said, turning the page in the paper he’d pilfered from the Happo Navy flagship. Outside of a brief duel with Zoro he’d ignored everyone all morning.

 “So what do we do to regroup?” Haruta asked Marco. “We need to go somewhere out of the way.”

 “We’ve got something in mind for you,” Sabo said. “Some new territory of ours.”

 “Punk Hazard,” Luffy said. “It’s super cool and pretty big and we kind of need someone to watch it for us anyway. You could all regroup there!”

 “It _is_ super cool,” Ace agreed.

 “How cool is ‘super cool’?” Marco asked.

 “Half of it’s on fire and the other half has constant blizzards,” Law said.

 “…You got me, sounds cool,” Marco agreed as Haruta clasped his hands together in glee.

 “And there’s these big underground tunnels and labs and shit,” Ace added. “Plenty of room.”

 “Just, you know, watch for booby traps and poison,” Sabo added. “We never really got a chance to clean the place up.”

 “Thanks,” Marco said as Jozu got the coordinates from Nami. “We’ll set sail tomorrow.”

 “Why tomorrow?” Namur asked.

 “Take a wild guess,” Izo asked, pointing from Marco to Ace and back again. “They were too tired yesterday to-”

 “Shut up now, please!” Shanks groaned.

 “DAD!” Ace muttered, burying his face in his hands.

 “Oh, Izo bringing up your sex life is fine but me trying to stop him-”

 “Dad you are not helping!” Ace yelled.

 “I’ll tell Benn!” Luffy said sternly.

 “And suddenly the Emperor is contrite,” Mihawk observed, sipping his tea. “Amazing.”

 The finer points of the agreement were hammered out and after a lot of hugging from Shanks and Perona and Zoro protesting hair-ruffles from Mihawk the Happo Navy, Warlord, and Emperor departed.

 “…Okay now that they’re gone get the good booze out,” Marco told Jozu.

 “Aye-aye, captain!” Jozu said as everyone cheered.

.o.o.o.

 “So Bakkin screwed it up, huh? And after all my hard effort, too,” Buggy sighed dramatically.

 Smoker looked unimpressed. That was what Buggy got for engaging in covert operations. “She claimed you tipped someone off.”

 “Hey, my job was to inform that flashy asshole Shanks that the Whitebeards were in trouble, thought his brats would want to know. I did that. Not my fault the trap didn’t kill them,” Buggy said, shrugging.

 “Shanks was there,” Smoker noted.

 “So his kids asked for backup, big whoop,” Buggy said. Seriously, that was one of the easiest things to cover for. This guy was lobbing way too many softballs—it was all too easy for the Amazing Buggy to bat a thousand on this!

 “Hmm…do you think they’ll say Shanks killed Weevil?” Smoker asked.

 “If they want a printing building sacked to force reprints, sure,” Buggy said. “Or just go with what’s true: Portgas D. Ace fried the guy alive.”

“And how do you know that?” Smoker asked.

 “Red Hair’s been calling me for days to crow about it,” Buggy said. “He’s probably going to be in flashy Proud Papa mode for a freaking fortnight, you people so owe me for putting up with it.”

 “Red Hair sure seems the bragging type,” Smoker agreed.

 “He’s insufferable,” Buggy muttered. And he _liked_ Ace, liked hearing about him! He was Rougue and Roger’s after all! But Shanks had to make it all annoying! “Anyway, not my fault Bakkin’s plan utterly failed, I quite flashily did what she asked of me.”

 He grinned as Smoker sighed. They both knew there wasn’t anything the Vice Admiral could do. Nope, couldn’t pin this one on him—he’d played both sides and come out on top!

Even if he was just _tiniest_ bit happy Ace’s side had won.

.o.o.o.

 Law groaned as someone knocked on his and Luffy’s door. “If it’s not important I get their head.”

 “Go back to bed, Traffy,” Luffy snickered sleepily, swinging his feet out of bed. He opened the door to find a grim looking Robin. .”What’s going on?”

 “We got a call on the transponder,” Robin said. “From Boa Hancock.”

 “Tell Hancock-ya it’s the middle of the night and deal with the fallout later!” Law called.

 “We can’t,” Robin said. “Luffy, one of her sisters was attacked, she says she needs Law’s help.”

 Luffy glanced behind him, yep, Law was sitting up now. “Well, okay. What is it she thinks Traffy can help with?”

 Robin sighed, “Her sister was poisoned by an assassin: Vinsmoke Reiju.”

 “…Crap,” Law and Luffy muttered in unison.

**Author's Note:**

> Ace got mad~ And Zoro and his dad made up, yay! But on the other hand while we get the return of the Gorgon sisters, we also get Sanji's family issues and family members causing trouble next time in "Poison All It Touches"
> 
> Personal Notes:  
> -Law's moving into more defensive fighting now that his revenge is settled and he is naturally scary-good at it given how his Rooms work.  
> -Buggy is effectively playing both sides, even if Shanks thinks he leans towards pirate loyalty over his government position as Warlord. Who knows if he'd have leaned towards Shanks or the Marines if the chips were down? Not me.  
> -I had so much fun writing that flashback and comparing Ace to it.  
> -Sabo and Koala get interrupted a lot. Like a lot a lot.  
> -Roger has surprisingly never been implied t have Conqueror's Haki in canon just the ability Luffy and Momosuke have to hear the voices in all things. My headcanon until proven otherwise is that he didn't have it, but was too badass to need it.


End file.
